Button and button-fastener



(No Model.)

* '0'. W. KE'IGHUM.

' BUTTON AND BUTTON FASTENER- N0.55'5,868. T I Patented Mar.3,1 896.

E x C 1/1 6 u g "E AN DREW BGRAHAM.PHDTO'UTHOYWASHIN GTUPLD C NITED Sri vrns PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER IVILLIAM KETOHUM, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO EDWARD ALEXANDER GRIFFITH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BUTTON AND B UTTON-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,868, dated March 3, 1896. Application filed December 11, 1893. Renewed December 11, 1895. Serial No. 571,837. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER WILLIAM KETCHU M, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a certain new and Improved Button and Butto11-Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed as an improvelnent on that style of button shown in the United States Patent No. 302,264; and it con sists in the peculiar construction of the button hereinafter more particularly described and then definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an enlarged plan view of the under side of the button used in connection with my fastener. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper side of the same. Fig. 3 is asiinilar view of the lower side of the same. Fig. 4 is a crosssection through a b in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through c d in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective detail of the fastener with its head unfinished. Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective detail of the finished fastener.

In the drawings, like letters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different fig ures.

A is the button provided with a downwardlyextending hollow shank B, the lower end of which is crossed byarounded bridge C. The upper end of the hollow shank is covered with a hemispherical or curved cap D, the top of which lies preferably at or below the general surface of the button. This cap D has a rib E extending across it, as shown.

It will be noticed on reference to Fig. 1 that the line of direction of the rib E is oblique to the line of direction of the bridge 0, so that when the prongs G of the fastener F, hereinafter more particularly described,are inserted on each side of the bridge O, a much greater certainty is given that they will pass on the proper side of the rib E without requiring the close observation on the part of the user that would be necessitated if the lines of direction of the said rib E and bridge 0 were at right angles to one another.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the fastener, which is formed of sheet metal with prongs G turned up at opposite sides of its circumference. It

will be noticed that these prongs are so arranged that the right-hand edge of one and the left-hand edge of the other touch a straight line drawn through the center of the head, as 5 5 indicated in Fig. 6. Although this is a preferable arrangement of the prongs, yet it is not absolutely essential to the operation of the fastener.

Vhen the fastener has been formed, as indicated, a thin covering of sheet metal H is applied to the head thereof, as indicated in Fig. 7, and effectually covers all sharp and ragged edges, giving a neat finish to the head of the fastener.

For but-tons intended for fine work a further covering of linen or cloth may be applied to the head of the fastener.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown the manner of connecting a button to a piece of fabric. The pron G of the fastener F are passed through the cloth I and into the shank B of the button, so that one prong passes on one side of the bridge 0 and rib E and the other prong 011 the other side of the same parts. It will be seen here that the object of so arranging the prongs G, as indicated in Fig. 6, is that they may readily pass on opposite sides of the rib E, while the fact that they are on opposite sides of the head F permits them to pass on opposite sides of the bridge 0, the oblique position of the bridge and rib giving a wide space into which the points of the prongs G may be inserted. The button and fastener are then firmly compressed together by any suitable means, when the curved shape of the cap D causes the prongs to be bent over to embrace the bridge 0, as shown in Fig. 5, the rib E keeping them separated so that their points pass one another without interference. 9c

Ithas been already mentioned that the bridge 0 is rounded. This allows the prongs to slip off it without being bent or twisted if they happen to strike the bridge in the operation of attaching the button. 7

I am aware that various patents have been granted for buttons in which the fasteners are provided with prongs which are turned toward each other, as in the United States Patents Nos. 48,079 and 307 ,240, and I am also aware that the buttons have been provided with fasteners that are intended to be bent with pliers so as to lie side by side, as in the United States Patent No. 229,557; but this last differs from my improvement in the fact that mine has the cap made of such shape as to turn the prongs of the fasteners side by side without the assistance of any other instrument, except that required to force the prongs of the fastener into the cap of the button. The prongs being set side by side can be made longer,

and thus will hold firmer than where they,

are short, as they must be when they are turned toward each other. Moreover, when the prongs turn toward each other, the neck is necessarily very large, and this is objectionable as it distorts the buttonhole by opening it too much.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a button, the combination of a hollow shank B, a bridge 0, cap D and a ribEformed therein and'set diagonally to said bridge, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The'combination with a button having a hollow shank B, a bridge 0, cap D, and a substantially as set forth.

4. A button having, in combination, a cap provided with a setting-die, and a hollow shank having an attaching bridge, said die having separated elongated cavities at an angle to the bridge, substantiallyas set forth.

Toronto, December 5, 1893. v

OLIVER lVILLIAM KETCHUM.

In presence of-- A. M. NEFF, FRED CLARKE. 

